Garlic scapes are a utilitarian and comestible part of the garlic plant . Since they divert food from cloves , it ’s important to cut them betimes if you ’re after big clove . The scapes can be used like cloves or stash away . However , they can also be used for flower arrangements , bulbils or even seed , which affect when you geld them .
About Garlic Reproduction
As an edible blossoming medulla , garlic depends chiefly on cloves to reproduce . However , hardneck garlic get off up a flower stalk called a shaft . These scapes will blossom and finally produce tiny bulbs calledbulbils . Some plants also grow seed . Unless stressed by drought or extremely inhuman winters , softneck ail seldom develops a scape . You glean scapes at unlike times bet on your intent .
Varieties for Scapes
Do n’t enumerate onsoftnecksif you want scapes ; prefer hardneck variety or else . There are several master eccentric . There are dozens of varieties within each group . The last three create weaker scapes but grow in warmer climate :
When to Cut Scapes to Eat
Hardneck garlic gives you a double harvest home – edible scapes and eatable cloves . Although you may harvest scapes to eat as soon as they appear , cutting them when they have germinate one full curl will give you the maximum amount of scapes to eat on without harm clove production . flower stalk can be eaten fresh , frosty , pickle or dry for computer storage .
When to Cut Scapes for Arrangements
If harvesting to wipe out the scapes , you could save a few to use in flower arrangement . instead , you’re able to decamp the eat part and just habituate for arrangements . Your other alternative is to wait until the scape have develop multiple ringlet but the flush buds have not yet opened – these are very striking . at long last , you could give garlic clove development and let the scapes produce flowers or bulbils .
When to Cut Scapes for Bulbils
Bulbils are like small – some are no bigger than a grain of Elmer Leopold Rice – garlic bulbs . Bulbils can be grow into full - sized garlic plants , although it direct several year . cultivator use bulbil to regenerate a strain of garlic or to multiply Allium sativum without the danger of soil - turn out disease . For bulbil , you do n’t cut the flower stalk until the bulbils are pushing their capsules open .
When to Cut Scapes for Seeds
Most garlic industrial plant do n’t grow numerous or viable seed . However , some of the seeds will grow . Since Allium sativum usually reproduces through cloves and bulbil that are ringer of the parent flora , using seed promotes genetic diversity . For seed production , let the scape persist until the seeds are to the full developed and beginning to dry out . Crush the fountainhead over theme to gather seed .
